Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Girl Power
by Cakedecorator
Summary: Gender and Attribute Change for Dan Kuso! Instead of the confident, talented Pyrus Brawler we all know and love, I'm telling the story with the hero, or rather, HEROINE being Carly, a rookie Haos Brawler with a timid, modest disposition and a lack of braw
1. Bakugan Meets Girl

**Hello, gang! My name is Cakedecorator, but you can call me Carly! Most people do. This is my first Bakugan Story, so bear with me, okay? Basically, it's just ME, with major personality changes, taking Dan Kuso's place as leader of the Bakugan Battle Brawlers, and stopping Naga from destroying Vestroia and Earth together! I should also warn you that instead of being a Pyrus Brawler, I'm going to be a Haos brawler, thus, I'm switching Attributes with Runo, Baron, and Fabia… Assuming I get that far into the story.**

**Why am I doing this? We can all agree that since Julie, Runo, and Alice were demoted to extras in the later seasons, we haven't had enough girl power in this anime, so why not make the main character a girl to make up for that injustice? Besides, I always liked Alice and how she and her Hydranoid worked together. **

**I am also making up some ability card names that mirror the effects of others, but don't have the same Attribute. For example, instead of Fire Wall for Pyrus Dragonoid, it will be LIGHT WALL for a Haos Dragonoid, but it will still nullify the opponent's ability and steal 50 G's from the opponent. Oh, and you'll see quotes and songs from certain Disney Princess Movies, okay?**

**Now, without further delay, let's get to the new and improved Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Girl Power!**

* * *

_A New Dawn_

_Cards were falling from the sky one day; everyone seemed to catch one in their hands. Except for one young girl: a short-haired brunette with lavender eyes and wearing pink. Although the cards were enigmatic at least, she ignored them, assuming they were some cards that a big shot were throwing down to advertise something._

The next day, the young girl woke up early to get to school and she got out of bed. Changing into her clothes, she soon ran downstairs.

"Ah, morning Carly." A man with black hair and glasses said.

"Morning, Dad, Mom." Carly said, as she sat down to eat her favorite chocolate muffins for breakfast.

"I assume you studied for your math exam today?" Carly's mother said.

"Yes, mother." Carly said.

"Honey, Carly is smart enough not to study to get a good grade," Carly's father said. "Lighten up."

Carly just sighed out loud before eating.

She then packed all of her books to get to school, and she soon hopped on her bicycle before heading off.

"See you later!" Carly said.

_My name is Carly, age 12. I'm in the seventh grade, and I'm one of a few people who just aren't into the whole 'Bakugan' craze. I don't get what is so crazy addictive about the game… _

Carly stopped her bike on the top of a hill, and looked out into the horizon, which overlooked all of the scenery of the city she called home.

Getting off of her bike for a second, she looked at the scenery, and paid special attention to the mountains in the distance.

"_I want much more than this boring city life!" _Carly sang out. _"I want adventure in the great, wide, somewhere! I want it more than I can tell… And for once, it might be nice… to have someone suffice… for a shy young girl, without the price…"_

Getting back on her bike, she kept riding back to school, and made it right on time.

"Carly, right on time, as usual." The gatekeeper said.

"Thank you." Carly said, as she parked her bike and then went inside.

As she walked through the halls, Carly was looking around at all of the other students who were playing with their new Bakugan. She sighed, annoyed, as well as puzzled as to why people liked this game so much.

"Man, your Haos Mantris totally creamed my Juggernoid." A voice said.

"I freaked out when you pulled Super Shard." Another voice said.

In the classroom, Carly was studying for her math exam while her classmates were talking Bakugan over and over.

"Wow, I didn't know that you can command a certain card to activate when you open it!" A girl said.

"You can counter a gate card with Dimension Four, but not the power of a Character Card, which raises your Bakugan's power level." Another girl said.

_I personally don't understand games like these: Yu-Gi-Oh, Solitare… And now this nutty game, called Bakugan. Seriously, I don't understand it at all._

However, the teacher soon came in, and eyed the girls with the toys, before they got the hint to put them away.

"I swear…" The teacher muttered, before blowing a whistle for class to start.

_Good, now people can concentrate on something other than a game this ridiculous…_

_That's what I used to think._

* * *

Meanwhile…

What looked like a Bakugan card was swirling around, and then the symbols turned into something that looked like spiral galaxies were conjured up, each with its own color.

In the white world, known as Haos, a skeletal Bakugan with a split nose was flying up, only to be blocked by a white dragon-like Bakugan of some sort.

"Hold it, Naga!" The white dragon said.

"Out of my way, Dragonir!" The skeletal Bakugan, known as Naga, demanded.

"Don't you know that craving this power is only going to lead to your destruction?" Dragonir inquired.

"Quiet! You don't understand how I feel!" Naga shouted.

"I'm guessing you were the one behind the human called 'Michael', but what I want to know is where you found him." Dragonir said.

Naga picked up a Bakugan card, and asked, "Do you know what this is?"

Dragonir merely growled and narrowed his eyes.

Naga threw the card, and opened a portal.

"What? A portal?" Dragonir inquired.

"Right! It leads to the power!" Naga shouted, before flying in, as the portal then closed up.

"But… Where?" Dragonir inquired.

"To the center of Vestroia!" Naga shouted.

* * *

Back with Carly, she got her math exam back: A+, as usual, and she was proud of it. Carly then smiled as she soon moved on to her next class.

"_Look there she goes, that girl is strange, no question. Not focused on Bakugan, don't you see?"_ Two girls in the hallway sang, referring to Carly.

"_Never part of any brawl." _One boy said.

"_Grades are what she thinks about, that's all." _Another girl said.

"_No denying she's a strange one, that Carly." _A crowd sang.

Carly made her way to the library, and she looked around to see all of the students playing Bakugan, to which she was not impressed.

"_There must be more than this boring city life!"_ Carly sang.

"Ah, Carly." The librarian said.

"Good morning, I've come to return the manga I borrowed." Carly said.

"Done with it already?" The librarian said.

"Oh, putting it down was out of the question. Is there anything new?" Carly asked.

"Not since last week." The librarian said, with a smile.

"A-okay with me! I'll just borrow this manga."

"That one? You've already read it five times." The librarian said, with a laugh.

"Well, it's my favorite! True love blooming from an epic adventure, daring battles, magic, finding your prince charming in the end." Carly said, hearts flying around.

"Well, if you like it all that much, it's yours." The librarian said.

"I can't take it! It's school property." Carly said, as she checked it out.

"I insist!" The librarian said.

"Thank you so much." Carly said, as she left the library.

"_Look there she goes, that girl is so enigmatic. Isn't she just plain silly?"_ Three boys said.

"_With a dreamy, far-off look." _A few girls sang.

"_And her nose stuck in a book." _Some boys said.

"_What a mystery to us all is Carly." _A crowd said.

The final bell of the school day rang, and Carly immediately ran to the main entrance to leave.

As she took her bike to leave for home, Carly ignored all of the people watching her as they sang, _"Look there she goes, the girl who's strange, but special! A most enigmatic young lady! It's a pity and a sin! If she played Bakugan, she'd fit in! But she really is a funny girl! A beauty, but a funny girl, she really is a funny girl! Carly!"_

As Carly came home that day, she smiled as she put her test down on the table, and her parents smiled, knowing that she did great.

"Carly, remember, you have a day off tomorrow, so enjoy yourself." Carly's father said.

"Thank you, I will." Carly said.

* * *

Meanwhile…

Back in Vestroia, a portal opened up, and Naga came through, to see two opposing orbs of some sort. One was a pale yellow, and the other one, slightly bigger, was lavender with blackish coloration in the center.

"I reached the center of the universe! Infinity, and silence, the two opposing forces!" Naga said, before approaching the silent core.

He spread his wings, and started to absorb the energy. However, rainbow colored lights shot out from him as Naga struggled to stay out of the Silent Core. However, he was drawn into it, while struggling to hang on.

Then, as he was drawn into it, it went black, and caused an explosion of some sort, causing the Infinity core to break into the dimensions and it spiraled away to another universe.

The explosion soon spread to all of Vestroia, and the vibrations caused the Bakugan to react badly to it. One Fear Ripper, of the Darkus Attribute, soon went out of control.

"Ugh, what's wrong…" Dragonir said. "Naga… It figures it'd be Naga's doing!"

As the skies in the Haos dimension soon broke down, the Darkus Fear Ripper soon attacked Dragonir, but the Haos Dragonoid soon dodged out of the way.

The Fear Ripper turned around, and Dragonir soon inquired aloud, "What is a _Darkus_ Bakugan doing in Haos space?"

However, the Fear Ripper soon latched on to Dragonir, and then they glowed in a rainbow light as they soon ended up flying into another portal, this leading to Earth.

* * *

The next day, Carly was walking around town, not noticing that the Haos Dragonoid had landed a few meters away, this time, in the form of a ball.

Carly soon stepped on Dragonir, tripped, and then she fell, but was unharmed.

"Ow!" Carly winced, as she rubbed the area where she landed.

"Ow…" The Haos Dragonoid said.

Hearing this, Carly looked at the spherical Bakugan, and then she picked it up.

"Are you okay?" Carly inquired, quietly.

Dragonir opened up, and then he shouted, "Yes, I'm fine, but what did you step on me for?!"

Carly then gasped before landing back on her rear end, and then she timidly muttered, "I… I'm sorry."

Noticing her nervousness, Haos Dragonoid then said, "You're forgiven."

"You're a Bakugan… But you're talking…" Carly quietly said. "You… Bakugan wouldn't happen to be living, sentient beings, would you?"

"Yes… But from what I've seen, most of you humans see us as game pieces." Haos Dragonoid said, rather rudely.

Carly did not say a word… Her shyness got the better of her.

"What's the matter?" Haos Dragonoid said.

"I… Don't know what to say; I don't want to hurt your feelings." Carly said.

Haos Dragonoid then flew out of Carly's hand, and then he floated around her for a little while, and then landed back into her hands.

"I see…" The Haos Dragonoid said, before flying up to eye level with Carly. "Um, what would your name be?"

"Carly…" Carly said, timidly. "What about you?"

"I am Haos Dragonoid." Haos Dragonoid said.

"Um... Ha… Hao…" Carly said, having a hard time pronouncing his name. "Is there a nickname you go by?"

"My mistake; call me Dragonir, if you don't mind." Haos Dragonoid, now Dragonir, said.

Carly smiled shyly, as she still was in the dark about everything.

"Um… want to come to my place? It doesn't seem like you have anywhere to go…" Carly shyly said.

"Thank you." Dragonir said, as he then hopped onto Carly's shoulder.

Carly then started walking back home, but she felt a bit odd carrying a Bakugan on her shoulder.

Arriving back home, Carly was approached by her parents, who hugged her, not noticing Dragonir on her shoulder.

"Humans; such an enigmatic species." Dragonir said, once the hug was done, but Carly clamped her hands over Dragonir.

"Zip it, Dragonir! I can't have you causing me problems by speaking in the presence of others, and making others think _I'm _the one saying this kind of stuff." Carly said, as she then hurried upstairs.

Carly soon gently placed Dragonir on the table, but he was still in closed ball form.

Opening up, Dragonir inquired, "Are you okay? You don't seem that happy to meet me."

"I'm a bit on the shy, timid side, okay?" Carly said, as she turned around in her chair. "I've never really been good with interacting with others; I'm always afraid of saying the wrong thing and upsetting them."

"Are you also afraid that someone would retaliate and hurt your feelings in return?" Dragonir inquired.

Carly merely nodded in response.

Dragonir merely flew on to Carly's shoulder, and said, "I trust you, Carly. Though we've only just met, I can sense you have a sensitive, compassionate heart."

"But…" Carly began.

"No 'buts'!" Dragonir said, as he flew in front of Carly's face. "From this day on, we're partners! And I'll defend you if anyone tries anything!"

"Hold on, Dragonir…" Carly said, about to put her thoughts in.

"Now, I need a place to stay, and since you're my partner…" Dragonir said.

"I get it, but when my parents are around, you HAVE to keep your mouth shut, is that clear?" Carly asked.

"As you humans say, 'as clear as crystal'." Dragonir said.

_And that is how I met my life-long Bakugan partner, Dragonir, but since I had never brawled before, I was afraid of how he'd react…_

The next morning, Carly got out of bed, in her pajamas, and she noticed Dragonir was still in ball form. She then went inside her walk-in closet, and closed the door to get changed.

After coming back out in her usual outfit, she tapped on Dragonir's ball, and quietly said, "Wake up."

Dragonir opened up, and then he yawned before turning to Carly, saying, "Good morning."

Carly then took Dragonir up into the palm of her hand, and put him into her skirt pocket.

"Why am I here?" Dragonir asked. "Shouldn't I be on your shoulder?"

"My parents don't know I have a talking Bakugan in the house. I don't know how they'd react if they found out." Carly said.

"So, again, I should remain quiet?" Dragonir asked.

"Right," Carly said. "And since I'm going to school, which lasts all day, I especially need you to pipe down and not move one bit during classes. I will let you know when you can come out and talk."

"Humans…" Dragonir muttered.

Carly then sighed sadly, as she soon walked downstairs.

"Carly, good morning." Carly's father said.

"Good morning." Carly replied, as she soon sat down and ate her muffins.

Dragonir was then rolling around in Carly's pocket, and then he unintentionally rolled out, falling on the floor, screaming, "Ouch!"

Hearing this, Carly put her muffin down on her plate and then she looked on the floor to see poor Dragonir, opened up and struggling to move.

"Ack!" Carly said, as she got down attempted to grab for Dragonir, only for her father to get it instead.

"Oh, is this one of those toys called 'Bakugan' that have been going around lately? Since when did you get this?" Carly's father asked.

"I… Uh…" Carly said, trying to explain what happened.

However, Carly's father merely put Dragonir back into her hands, before saying, "No matter. I never thought you were into Bakugan."

"I… I… I obtained interest in it when a friend showed me how to play the game yesterday, and then gave me my Haos Dragonoid as a gift." Carly lied.

_If there's one thing I hate to do, it's lie. But that's exactly what I had to do in order to protect Dragonir._

"Well, I hope you have fun, sweetie." Carly's mother said, as the family continued eating.

Carly then sighed in relief as she put Dragonir in her pocket, this time, in her jacket, and went back to eating.

Carly soon got onto her bike and started riding to school.

"At least your parents are okay with me being in the house." Dragonir said.

Carly merely nodded in agreement, and then they soon got to school.

"Hey, Carly!" A boy said, as he approached, with a black and purple Bakugan in hand. "Finally matured and gotten a Bakugan?"

"Good morning to you, too, Toji." Carly said.

"Drop the lady act, Carly! Are we going to brawl or what?" Toji said, as he then held his Bakugan in between two of his fingers towards Carly.

"Um…" Carly began nervous.

"Carly, who is this?" Dragonir said, as he leaped out of Carly's pocket, and into her hand.

"Hold it, Dragonir!" Carly whispered. "I didn't tell you to come out yet."

"So, you _do_ have a Bakugan! Any cards?" Toji asked, examining Dragonir.

"Um… No…" Carly nervously said.

"Alright, then, here." Toji said, as he handed Carly a few cards.

"I…" Carly shyly said.

"Field Open!" Toji said.

Carly did not want to open the field. But she reluctantly, and irritably said, "Field Open…"

Time soon stopped in everything, and then they were transported into another world of sorts where the floor was white and the symbols of Vestroia were spinning around.

"Um…" Carly said, nervous.

"Gate Card, Set!" Toji said, as he threw a card. It landed in front of Carly's part of the field, flashed purple, before enlarging and then materializing into a card.

_It was my very first battle; I was scared stiff! I truly never expected to be involved with Bakugan at all._

"What are you waiting for, Carly?" Toji asked.

"Um…" Carly said.

Dragonir flew up to Carly and then asked, "Carly, why are you hesitating?"

"I… I…" Carly said, before tears were flowing from her eyes.

Seeing this, Dragonir then calmed down, before gently asking, "What's the problem?"

"_I've NEVER played Bakugan before, okay?! This is my VERY first brawl!_" Carly hollered in fright, tears in her eyes.

"_**What?!**_ My partner is a mere _rookie_?" Dragonir asked.

"Truth be told, I've never been into Bakugan before I met you, Dragonir, so I honestly don't know what I'm doing." Carly admitted, timidly.

"Regardless of that, you're still my partner," Dragonir said, as he closed himself back up and landed in Carly's hand. "Now stop hesitating and set the card."

Carly nodded timidly, and then with some hesitation, she threw a card, saying, "Gate Card, set!"

It flew over to Toji's end, and then it glowed yellow while enlarging before materializing back into a card.

"Now we're getting somewhere! Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Gargonoid, Stand!" Toji shouted, as he threw his Bakugan onto the card, and then it opened up. Its eyes flashed purple before it rose up to the sky, revealing itself to be a tall, bipedal gargoyle-like creature, only in black and purple, with large wings.

Carly screamed a bit before calming down, and then Carly decided to do her best in the brawl.

Carly then held Dragonir close to her chest, and then she said, "Hope you can forgive me, Dragonir."

"For what?" Dragonir inquired.

Carly merely kissed Dragonir in ball form, singing, _"Now add a kiss, just for luck! And we'll win this battle without any problem!"_

"Was that necessary?" Dragonir asked, turning red.

"Sorry, I just need a little luck," Carly said. "Now, Bakugan Brawl! Haos Dragonoid, Stand!"

Throwing Dragonir onto the field in front of Gargonoid, Dragonir's eyes flashed yellow before he rose up to the sky, revealing himself to be a white dragon-like creature, with clawed wings and feet, a long neck, slender body and a long, sharp, horn on the end of the snout. He had small spikes along his back.

"_Darkus Gargonoid enters battle at 350 G's. Haos Dragonoid enters battle at 340 G's." _Toji's BakuPod said.

"I… Uh…" Carly began, speechless.

"What is it, Carly?" Dragonir inquired.

"I never expected you to be this incredible… I'm not sure I can do this, Dragonir," Carly timidly said. "And like I said before, I don't know what I'm doing. I don't even have a Baku Pod or any cards to play."

However, a Baku Pod immediately came out of nowhere and then landed on Carly's wrist, and a few Cards made specifically for Dragonoid appeared in her other hand.

"What's with the hesitation, Carly? Still afraid to lose? In that case, Ability Card, Activate! Darkness Judge!" Toji said.

The card then became cloaked in purple light before Toji threw it at his Gargonoid. It soon hit the Bakugan, causing it to be surrounded by black and purple lights and it grew a lot stronger.

"_Gargonoid increase to 450 G's. Dragonoid stable." _The Baku Pod said.

_I was honestly unaware of what to do. I needed some help so as to win this battle right. When it came to games like this, I knew for a fact that power isn't the only thing to consider in a battle; tactical understanding was part of it, too._

"Just a little… Okay, a lot afraid!" Carly admitted. "But I don't know what to do."

"You could try using an ability card!" Toji shouted.

Carly merely nodded in hesitation, and then she took one of her cards from her stack, and then raised it up.

"Ability Card Activate… Um…" Carly said, not knowing what to say. It then hit her. "Light Wall!"

The card started glowing white and then Carly threw it at Dragonir, who glowed while white light spiraled around him like a tornado.

"_Gargonoid's Darkness Judge nullified; 50 G's transferred from Gargonoid to Dragonoid. Dragnoid increase to 390 G's, Gargonoid now at 400 G's."_

"Not much of an increase, but I don't know how else to battle at this point." Carly admitted.

"Your lack of confidence is wearing on me, Carly!" Toji said. "Gate Card Open! Triple Battle!"

"T-Triple Battle?!" Carly said, in fright.

"Stay calm, Carly. Your lack of courage and confidence is only going to lead to a loss for us." Dragonir said.

"What part of 'this is my first brawl; I don't know what I'm doing' don't you understand, Dragonir?!" Carly said, in distress.

"Bakugan Brawl!" Toji shouted, throwing a Bakugan onto the Triple Battle Card. "Darkus Mantris Stand!"

A large preying mantis-like Bakugan came up, only this one was colored in black and purple.

"_Darkus Mantris enters battle at 340 G's. Combined power level is 740 G's."_

"740 G's?! Ack! What do I do?" Carly fretted, as she fumbled through her cards to try and find a way to stop both Mantris and Gargonoid from taking her down.

'_I only have one Bakugan to use in this battle, so I need to make sure I get this right."_

She then got an idea; she took out one card, and then she said, "Ability Card, Activate! Light Tornado!"

Dragonir's body became surrounded by light as it swirled around him.

"_Power level decrease for Mantris and Gargonoid detected. Power level now at 540 G's. Haos Dragonoid now at 590 G's." _

"Nice! Go get em' Dragonir!" Carly shouted.

Dragonir then roared before flying into Gargonoid and Mantris before they both glowed purple, turned back into balls, and returned to Toji.

"What?!" Toji shouted.

Dragonir then turned back into a ball himself and returned to Carly's hand.

"Wow… Did we just win?" Carly said, in disbelief.

"Wonderful work, Carly! You overcame your fears and came through." Dragonir said.

"Heh, not too shabby for a rookie! I guess brawn isn't the only thing to consider in a brawl." Toji said, smirking.

"I guess not, Toji." Carly said.

The field then disappeared, and everything went back to normal, as if nothing happened.

"Nice work, Carly." Toji said.

"Thanks, Toji," Carly said. "I can't believe I was victorious, but at the same, it seemed so surreal."

"You'll be a great brawler, if you just keep at it," Toji said, as he reached into his pocket, and fumbled around. He then put what he had in his hand into Carly's hand. "Here, some more Haos Bakugan to use. I don't think your Haos Dragonoid is enough."

"Yeah, one Bakugan alone won't cut it, will it?" Carly said, smiling.

Toji did a mock salute before leaving. Dragonir landed on Carly's shoulder before saying, "Good work out there, Carly. Now, shall we get home?"

Carly merely nodded as she walked home with her Dragonir on her shoulder.

* * *

As soon as she got home and her homework was all done, she decided to create an account to go on the Bakugan Site and she appeared in the chatroom for the first time, and saw four brawlers.

"Um… Who are you?" One of the girls, the one with silver hair asked.

Carly shyly looked away, before saying, "Hello, my name is Carly… And… I wanted to let you know that there's much more to Bakugan than meets the eye."

* * *

**Here's what I've conjured up. If you like it, let me know; if not, don't bother. Sorry.**

**Next time…**

**Carly: I soon try explaining to my new cyber-friends that Bakugan are sentient, but all it takes is for Dragonir to talk to convince them. Also, I'm stuck battling again, only this time, I'm so freaked out, that I don't know what to do. This goon called Masquerade comes along and tries stealing Dragonir from me, but as usual, my lack of confidence sends me into distress, so I don't know what to do! Next time on the Bakugan Battle Brawlers, Girl Power: Masquerade Ball!**


	2. Masquerade Ball: A Girl's Brawl

**Uh-oh, Carly's in trouble! Not only is she having a hard time overcoming her lack of confidence in her battles, she's also confronted by a brawler named Masquerade and is challenged to a brawl! She can't seem to make sure she doesn't lose Dragonir, but what she can do, she's clueless! It's up to Dragonir to give her the courage she needs to win, and the confidence to convince her new brawler friends that Bakugan are sentient beings. **

* * *

_Masquerade Ball: A Girl's Brawl!_

As soon as she got home and her homework was all done, she decided to create an account to go on the Bakugan Site and she appeared in the chatroom for the first time, and saw four brawlers.

"Um… Who are you?" One of the girls, the one with silver hair asked.

Carly shyly looked away, before saying, "Hello, my name is Carly…"

"It's nice to meet you, Carly! My name is Choji Marukura, but please, call me Marucho." The blond boy with glasses said.

"My name is Runo Misaki." The pigtailed bluenette said.

"I'm Alice Gehabic." The red-head told her.

"And I'm Julie Makimoto!" The silver-haired girl said.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you, but we have a pressing matter to discuss. There's more to the world of Bakugan than meets the eye." Carly said, getting serious with the situation.

"And what are you referring to when you say this?" Marucho inquired.

"Dragonir," Carly said, as Dragonir then came up to the camera. "You might want to speak up."

"How can a Bakugan speak up?" Runo asked.

"Because we Bakugan aren't toys!" Dragonir said.

The other brawlers gasped, and then Alice inquired, "Did that Haos Dragonoid just speak?"

Carly merely nodded.

"That's right. My name is, in fact, Haos Dragonoid, but please call me Dragonir. We Bakugan are not toys or trinkets for you humans to play with or see as prizes. We are sentient creatures." Dragonir said.

"You, too, huh?" Julie asked.

"What do you mean by that?" Carly inquired.

"You should look on the site; everyone has been talking about talking Bakugan, and hearing your Dragonoid talk just proved it!" Runo said.

"Thank you. I will." Carly said. Logging on to the site, Carly discovered several kids were talking about their Bakugan, and how they heard them talk.

"I was right… Dragonir, there's something wrong with the universe if this is happening." Carly said to her partner.

"No joke…" Dragonir said, turning away from the screen.

"Dragonir…" Carly said, worrying for her Bakugan.

"Anything else, Carly?" Marucho asked.

"Um, yes, please. I would appreciate it a lot if you could keep an eye out for anything suspicious regarding the Bakugan. And I don't just mean talking Bakugan, but just anything out of the ordinary." Carly said, before logging off.

"Something's not right with the universe, Dragonir." Carly told her Bakugan Partner.

"That's no joke. I'd tell you what's happened, but the time isn't right." Dragonir said.

"I understand. I actually have to do some shopping for my parents. Come on." Carly said, bringing Dragonir up into her pocket.

* * *

As they left the house, Carly was looking around for anything strange regarding Bakugan while she was in the marketplace.

"Okay, so we should keep an eye out for anything strange." Carly said.

However, she soon noticed a stand for fresh blueberries, and then she smiled, saying, "Oh, blueberries! Mom would love these! I'll take a half-pint of blueberries, please!"

Dragonir watched as he saw his partner purchase the fruit, and she smiled as she put it in the shopping bag.

"I will never understand humans…" Dragonir said.

Meanwhile, Runo was running around in the park with one of her Bakugan in her hand.

"Ugh, this is so annoying! How come Carly's stupid Bakugan Ball talks and not you? Well, why?" Runo complained.

While tapping on it, Runo then said, "If you're inside, say something! Pretty please with sugar… Say something!"

Then there was a large whirlwind that caused the swings to fly so high that Runo ducked and covered a little bit. When the wind was over, two feet then touched the ground nearby.

Turning around, Runo asked, "Where did you come from?"

The brawler did not ask, but Runo got a good look at him from the back.

"A battle brawler." Runo said, as the mysterious boy then picked up a card. "Are you challenging me to a battle? Because if you are, let's get this over with."

Runo then picked up the card she was holding and was ready to open the field.

Her opponent was wearing a purple and blue visor mask made out of plastic or glass, a white cape-like coat that was buttoned by straps on his chest, with the exception of towards the waist. At the waist, there was part of a blue shirt and two cross something that seemed to go together. Underneath the jacket, there was what appeared to be armor on his upper chest. The belt had a circular belt buckle. He had what seemed to be golden blond hair that is in some sort of spike pattern that really did not have a real pattern at all. He was also wearing boots with small heels at the bottom. These boots had straps and buckles on them as well.

"I didn't catch your name." Runo said.

"I never said it," The boy said. "Call me Masquerade."

The two players then turned their cards over; Runo's card flashed red while Masquerade's flashed purple.

As a large pink beam of light was shot to the sky, everything in the area seemed to stop as if time were being put to a halt.

As the light flashed white, Runo was shown, and she screamed, as some Grim Reaper-like Bakugan came at her.

* * *

Meanwhile, at school, Carly was sitting in the classroom and keeping to herself, as usual, while Dragonir was in her skirt pocket, as usual.

"Carly," Dragonir whispered. "I fail to understand why you only socialize with me, and not the other students."

"I'm the shy, passive type, Dragonir," Carly whispered back. "And besides, everyone thinks I'm weird because I didn't play Bakugan until just now. But I would prefer to keep that to myself."

"Again, are you afraid of upsetting someone?" Dragonir asked.

"Right." Carly said, nodding.

"Carly," Toji said, as he approached Carly. "How about another brawl?"

"Not now, Toji," Carly said. "I don't have time for that right now, and class is about to begin."

"Come on, time literally stops during a battle." Toji said.

"That's not the issue here." Carly said, as she diverted her eyes away.

The teacher soon came in and then everyone got into their seats.

"Good morning, class…" The teacher began, as she then started going into their lesson that day.

Dragonir listened intently throughout the lesson, and to say he was baffled would have been an understatement.

During the break time, Carly fled to a more private part of the school, and then she took Dragonir out.

He opened up, and then told Carly, "How can you understand all of what that one human was saying?!"

"It's called 'math', Dragonir," Carly said. "It's a basic life skill and knowledge we need to do well in life. I'm guessing Bakugan don't go to school or anything like that because the basic life necessities for them are different."

"That sounds about right." Dragonir said.

After school was wrapped up for the day, Carly and Dragonir went back to her house and logged on to the website.

"Hello…" Carly began.

"_FINALLY!_" Runo shouted as she came up on screen, causing Carly to fall back out of her chair.

"Ack! Carly, are you okay?" Dragonir asked, as he flew back to his partner's side.

"I hope you realize that _you're_ the reason that I lost a Bakugan Brawl today!" Runo shouted.

"Hey, don't treat my partner like that!" Dragonir shouted, as he flew up to the screen, and scolded Runo.

Carly climbed back up, tears in her eyes, and she squeaked, "What did _I_ do?"

"This creep Masquerade came along and totally creamed me like buttercream frosting!" Runo complained.

Marucho then came up on the screen and said, "He's been winning battles on an international basis."

All four of the Brawlers were then up on the screen, and Alice said, "All of the chatrooms I've checked are full of kids talking about Masquerade."

"What's up with him?" Carly inquired.

"He's won every battle he's even been in, and kids are loosing their Bakugan like nonsense! This is serious." Julie said.

"Please forgive my impudence towards your personal problems, but he wouldn't have gotten one of your Bakugan, did he, Runo?" Carly asked.

"Cut the politeness, but yes, my precious Terrorclaw is gone for good." Runo said, sadly.

"We've got to do something, Carly!" Marucho said.

"Here's an idea: Carly, you won the very first brawl you've been in, hands down, right?" Julie asked.

"I wouldn't say hands down, but still, I did win, but I owe it all to Dragonir," Carly said, but she soon realized where her friends were going. "Hold up, you're not suggesting…"

"That's right! Why don't _YOU_ battle him?" Alice asked.

"_Are you __**crazy?!**_" Carly shouted. "I'm just a complete rookie! It was only pure luck that I – oh, I mean _we_ won that battle!"

"I have to concur with Carly. The fact that she's inexperienced alone puts her at a disadvantage." Dragonir said.

"Come on, Carly! Please?" Runo asked.

Carly was worried about the possibility of losing Dragonir to this new brawler. She was upset that her new friends were looking to her, a rookie brawler, to take down such a powerful opponent.

"… Okay, fine, I'll do it…" Carly said.

"Oh, that's great!" Marcuho said.

"I could just hug you!" Julie said.

"Me, too." Alice said.

"Carly, are you sure? Dragonir said. "This Masquerade person seems like someone who could defeat you in seconds."

"Maybe, but if someone like him is causing problems, and if my friends are _so_ desperate for my help, I'll have to put _all of my Bakugan_ on the line for this. I understand that this won't sit well with you, Dragonir, but these guys are depending on me." Carly said.

"What if _you_ lose, too?" Julie asked.

Carly merely looked away with her eyes, not answering the question.

"Are you aware of his ranking?" Runo asked.

"Let me guess, #1?" Carly asked.

"Right! How did you know?" Marucho asked.

"Just a guess," Carly said. "But something's off. I checked the rankings the other day, and the #1 Brawler in the entire world is um… Shun Kazami, right?"

"You mean _was_ Shun Kazami," Runo said. "But he suddenly disappeared from the site almost completely."

"Maybe he got bored because people were challenging him to fruitless battles, and he won constantly?" Carly suggested.

"That makes some sense," Alice said. "But still, you have to win against Masquerade."

"Win? I highly doubt I can hold my own against him!" Carly protested.

"How do you know if you don't try, Carly?" Dragonir said.

"You're probably right," Carly said. "So, if Dragonir wants to, we'll march into battle and stop Masquerade… Assuming I have the guts."

"You're lacking in confidence, Carly," Runo said. "You can't win like that."

"And how are you going to challenge Masquerade to a battle if you don't know where he's at?" Julie inquired.

"I've got that covered." Carly said, with a smile.

* * *

Using the video camera feature on her computer, Carly started recording a message to Masquerade.

"Ah-hem," Carly said. "Please forgive my impudence towards you, but Masquerade, this is a challenge! My name is Carly, a rookie Haos brawler, and I challenge you to a strictly friendly brawl. You're ranking of #1 is no justification of you being a big bully to other brawlers, and I won't tolerate this behavior. If you want to prove something to me, then please accept my challenge. My Haos Bakugan and I will be waiting for your reply. If you don't want to take on a rookie like me, that's perfectly reasonable, but I still am not revoking my challenge."

Turning off the video camera, she slumped back into her camera and said, "Man, Dragonir, I was afraid I was going to freeze up…"

"You were being too polite! I highly doubt Masquerade will accept this challenge with that kind of demeanor." Dragonir asked.

"You're probably right, but I'm not one to be so… Blunt." Carly said.

"I know you're a timid, polite girl, but I'm concerned." Dragonir said.

"About what?" Carly asked.

"Carly, are you sure you want to do this? There's no telling what Attribute this brawler uses or how powerful he really is." Dragonir said.

"I know, but sometimes, you got to extend your boundaries." Carly said.

Meanwhile, in a dark place, Masquerade was at his computer, listening to the challenge Carly issued.

"_Please forgive my impudence, but I want to deliver some retribution to you for being nothing more than a big bully. Underneath the railroad bridge on Pondale Avenue, tomorrow afternoon: that's where I'll be waiting for you. I want this opportunity to stop your unacceptable behavior from going on." _Carly's message said.

Masquerade smiled at this, and he said, "A rookie brawler, huh?"

* * *

The next day, Carly was walking to the location where Masquerade said she would meet up with her. Although she was prepared with all of her Bakugan, she was as nervous as nervous could be, knowing that she was in for a rough battle.

"Carly, what are you looking so nervous about?" Dragonir asked, resting on Carly's shoulder.

"I'm afraid of losing you, Dragonir," Carly confessed. "You're practically the only friend I have… If I lose you to Masquerade, I don't know what I would do."

"Then we don't lose," Dragonir said. "It's that simple."

Carly merely nodded timidly, and then she smiled as they soon made it to the bridge. However, she soon met up with two other brawlers; one tall boy with spiked, brown hair, and a bit on the round side, and another one, shorter, with a yellow cap, red hair, freckles, and wearing green.

"Hey, are you Carly? That new Haos brawler?" The taller of the boys asked.

"Yes, that's me." Carly said.

"We heard about your challenge to Masquerade, so before we let you get clobbered by him, we're going to see how good you _really_ are; my name is Shuji, and the pipsqueak over here is Akira, my brother," The taller boy said, taking up a gate card. "So, let's get to it."

"Hold on, I'm not interested in battling you! I…" Carly said, getting timid again.

"Stop messing around!" Akira said.

"Yeah, quit beating around the bush, or are you too chicken, you little girl?" Shuji asked.

'_Ugh, the fact that I'm a girl, that I can understand, but if he's calling me out on being a weakling, well… He's probably right, but how will I know if I don't try?'_ Carly thought.

Carly sighed in defeat, took up a card, and then the two brawlers said, "Bakugan Field Open!"

Once again, a beam of light surrounded the area, causing time to stop in its tracks, and the card design swirled around, and as Carly looked around at her new environment, she got chills down her spine; the nastolgia of being back in the battle again made her nervous.

"Not this again, Dragonir…" Carly said.

"Don't let the familiarity of this environment throw you off, Carly." Dragonir said.

"Right," Carly said. "I won't let you down, Dragonir!"

"Gate Card, Set!" Both brawlers said.

A card landed in front of Carly, and flashed green before materializing, as did Carly's card, as it flashed yellow before materializing in front of Shuji.

"Bakugan Brawl!" Shuji said, as he threw a green Bakugan Ball onto his gate card. "Ventus Robotallion, Stand!"

A green ball then opened up and it soon flashed before a green robot-like creature with armor and claws rose up on the gate card.

"Snap! What do I do?!" Carly said, worried.

"Carly, try using your Haos Saurus!" Dragonir said.

"Okay, I trust you," Carly said, as she took out Saurus. "Bakugan Brawl! Haos Saurus, Stand!"

As it opened up, the Bakugan Ball then rose up to become a bipedal humanoid triceratops, and it was wearing armor that looked like ancient battle armor, and it was colored yellow and white.

Looking at the cards she had, she grew concerned with what to do. She then waited for Shuji to make his move.

"Alright, then, Ability Card, Activate! Robotallion Enforcement!" Shuji said, activating the card.

"_Robotallion Power Level increase to 350 G's." _

"Now the power levels between our two Bakugan are even…" Carly said. She then had an idea. "Ability Card Activate! Light Wall!"

A column of yellow light enveloped Saurus, and then there was a power switch.

"_Ventus Robotallion Power Level decrease to 300 G's. Haos Saurus Power Level increase to 440 G's." _

"Sic' em, Saurus!" Carly said.

Roaring, Saurus then tackled Robotallion, causing it to glow green, turn back into a ball, and it went back to Shuji.

Saurus turned back into a ball and went back to Carly, who caught it, and smiled.

"Ah, snap! You're not half-bad, for a rookie." Shuji said.

Carly sweat dropped.

_When Shuji said that, I was unsure whether or not to be upset by that kind of comment. Not wasting any time, I decided to figure out my next move._

"Bakugan Brawl! Ventus Falconeer, stand!" Shuji shouted.

Rising up, a green humanoid falcon-like Bakugan came up on the gate card.

"_Falconeer Power Level set at 340 G's." _

"Alright, now what…?" Carly inquired. _'Using Saurus again would be pointless. Shuji has already seen what Saurus can do, so which other of my Bakugan can I use?'_

"Carly, put me in!" Dragonir said.

"No, not yet! I need to think this over…" Carly said.

"What are you waiting for, Carly? Gonna get this over with or what?" Shuji asked.

"Oh…" Carly thought, getting intense. "Aha! Gate Card, Set!"

Setting down another card, Carly then prepared a new strategy.

"Bakugan Brawl! Haos Mantris, Stand!"

Opening up, a white and yellow preying mantis-like Bakugan rose up on her card, but this was not the card that she had just put down. Carly prepared herself for her battle.

"Carly, what are you planning?" Dragonir said.

"Just watch me." Carly said.

"_Mantris Power Level at 340 G's"_

"Alright, Shuji, now its time for a little payback for teasing me!" Carly said, actually becoming confident in her battle. "Ability Card, Activate! Slice Cutter!"

Mantris then used its arms and cut at Falconeer, causing it to lose power.

"_Falconeer Power Decrease to 290 G's." _The Baku Pod said.

"Reducing Power Levels won't work by itself, Carly." Dragonir said.

"I know, which is why I set down another Gate Card." Carly said.

"Ah, crud! Now, it's my turn! Bakugan Brawl! Ravenoid, stand!" Shuji shouted, as he threw a Bakugan down on the Gate Card that Carly had put down earlier.

A green, bird-like Bakugan with plated armor then rose up on the card.

"_Ravenoid Power Level Set at 380 G's"_

'_Aha! I KNEW he'd fall for it.'_ Carly thought.

"Ha! What do you think, now? Your Mantris is only at 340 G's while my Bakugan's levels are at a combined 670 G's!" Shuji bragged.

"Combining G power won't help you," Carly said, in singsong. "Ability Card, Activate! Marionette!"

Mantris then shot thread-like energy at Falconeer, binding it.

"Falconeer, go to the same card as your teammate, Ravenoid!" Carly commanded.

As Mantris moved Falconeer to the other card, Shuji shouted, "Wait, what are you doing?!"

Carly snapped her fingers as Falconeer dropped on the same card as Ravenoid. Both Bakugan then exploded as the Gate Card disappeared.

"What happened?" Dragonir asked.

"Simple: I suspected that Shuji would try to double-up on his Bakugan to try taking me out, so to counter that, I used my Mantris, knowing that its Marionette ability would come in handy. To prevent me from wasting time and cards, I snuck in a Mind Ghost card; this card causes Bakugan to explode as soon as two are on the card, regardless of which side the Bakugan is on. I was hoping Shuji would put Ravenoid down on it. Sure enough, he did, and then I used Mantris' Marionette to move Falconeer ON to the Mind Ghost Card, causing both of them to lose on contact." Carly explained.

"I thought you were a rookie." Dragonir said, pleased with Carly.

"I am; all I did was read the back of the cards to get some information, and then made the choices accordingly." Carly said, going back to her timid self.

Sweat dropping, Dragonir said, "Of course…"

"That's two wins so far, Shuji! Lose again, and I'm taking Masquerade on!" Carly said, confident.

'_Why am I acting like this? I'm not that good of a brawler; heck, I'm just getting started.'_ Carly thought.

"Ack! Alright, then. Bakugan Brawl! Ventus Gargonoid, Stand!" Shuji shouted.

As it came up, there was a green version of the Gargonoid that Carly had taken on the day before.

"_Ventus Gargonoid Power set at 350 G's."_

"Not again…" Carly said.

"Put me in!" Dragonir said.

"Right! Gate Card, Set!" Carly said, throwing down another Gate Card. "Bakugan Brawl! Haos Dragonoid, Stand!"

Releasing Dragonir on to the card, his ball opened up, and he rose up to the sky as a dragon.

"A… Dragonoid?!" Shuji said, in shock.

"_Haos Dragonoid Power Level Set at 340 G's"_

"Alright, Dragonir! Ready?" Carly said. _'Dragonir's Power Level might be lower by only 10 G's, but there's always a chance to turn things around.'_

"Right! But here's a tip: my Light Wall ability won't be effective against a Bakugan with Wind Attributes." Dragonir said.

"Okay, Wind, meaning Ventus, so that means I can't use Light Wall," Carly said aloud. "Let's try something else."

"Right!" Dragonir said.

Looking through her Ability Cards to find something to help her win the fight, she stumbled upon one card that made her smile.

"Ability Card, Activate! Light Tornado!" Carly declared, activating her card.

A tornado of yellow light appeared around Dragonir and then Dragonir landed on the card.

"_Gargonoid Power Transferred To Dragonoid. Gargonoid Power Level now 250 G's; Dragonoid Power Level at 440 G's." _Baku Pod said.

"Four hundred and forty G's?!" Shuji shouted.

"Ready, Dragonir! Time for the coup de gras!" Carly shouted.

Dragonir roared with passion before slamming one of his wings into Gargonoid, causing it to turn back into a ball and return to Shuji.

"Wow… I won." Carly stated, somewhat surprised.

Time went back to normal again, and then Shuji fell to his knees in despair.

"I can't believe I lost! To a _GIRL_, no less!" Shuji shouted, in agony.

"And what is _THAT_ supposed to mean?!" Dragonir said, getting angry with Shuji for his comment.

"You're good, for a rookie!" Akira said. "But just wait! We'll be back!"

Both Akira and Shuji then left the scene, and then Carly told Dragonir, "Is it me, or did I just undergo a complete personality change during that battle?"

"It's not you." Dragonir said.

"Ugh, if only I knew how to contact Masquerade without a computer, then I could ask him where he is so we could properly battle him." Carly complained in a mutter.

She was clearly unhappy with the situation.

She soon sensed someone coming, and then she turned around, facing the direction where the vibrations came from.

"I'm looking for a girl named 'Carly'." A voice said.

'_Gotta be him.'_ Carly thought. "Masquerade, am I right?"

Out of the shadows came the blond-haired boy with the mask on; Carly immediately knew why he was given the name 'Masquerade'.

"Oh… Pardon my sudden impudence," Carly said. "But I'm very new to this whole 'Bakugan' business. However, my understanding is that you're stealing Bakugan form other brawlers, and since so much time and energy was put in to this game, I am compelled to inform you that I have no intention of letting you mess things up."

Masquerade merely raised the card up to his face and smirked.

"I beg your pardon, but won't you answer me?" Carly asked, politely.

"It's time to battle, Carly." Masquerade said.

"Drop the formalities, Carly, and let's get this battle going!" Dragonir insisted.

Carly merely raised her card up.

"Field Open!" The two Brawlers said.

Turning their cards over, the two were then on the battlefield as time stopped, as usual. Carly was on one side of the 'room' while Masquerade was on the other.

"Gate Card, Set!" The two brawlers said.

Carly was standing in front of Masquerade's Gate Card, while he was standing on hers.

Dropping another card, one with a cow skull on one side, Masquerade said, "Your move."

Noticing the waves of dark energy coming out from Masquerade's end of the field, Carly shuddered at the sensation.

'_What the heck did he put down? I've never read about any cards like that before. I'm going to have to use my Saurus Card with higher G's, then make a plan from there.' _Carly thought.

"Carly, put me in the battle!" Dragonir said.

"The last thing I want is to lose you to this guy, Dragonir," Carly said. "So…"

Taking out her Saurus, she then threw it on to the card, while saying, "Bakugan Brawl! Saurus, Stand!"

A tall, triceratops-like Bakugan, colored yellow and white, then came up on the card, and then Carly got a serious look on her face.

"You're afraid of losing me to this Masquerade? I thought I was just a toy to you." Dragonir said.

"You're not a toy to me," Carly said. "To me, you're my only, true friend. To lose my only friend… Would be the end of the world for me."

"Carly…" Dragonir said.

"Anyway, back to work." Carly said.

'_I don't know what this guy is up to, but as the #1 brawler in the world, I'm already in over my head in this battle.' _Carly thought.

Raising his arm up, Masquerade said, "Bakugan Brawl! Reaper, Stand!"

Throwing his ball on to the gate card, up came a Bakugan that resembled the Grim Reaper, with wings that spiked out at their ends, and horns. It was purple and black.

"_Reaper Power Level 370 G's. Saurus Power Level 350 G's." _Baku Pod said.

'_What should I do? I don't think it's wise to transfer 50 G's from Reaper to Saurus at this point in the battle using Light Wall. We're just getting started. So…' _Carly thought, preparing for a brawl.

"Gate Card, Open!" Carly commanded. "Attribute Normal!"

"_Saurus Power Level Increase to 650 G's." _Baku Pod said.

'_Don't bother mocking him now, Carly. They say 'to mock and opponent is to underestimate him'. Because this guy is ranked #1 in the world, I can't mock him or underestimate him __AT ALL__. So, I need to see what he has up his sleeve.'_ Carly thought.

"Ability Card, Activate. Dimension Four." Masquerade said, as he lifted his card to the air, causing the light to become more intense.

As Carly then covered her eyes, she saw that the Gate Card shattered.

"HUH?! How?" Carly shrieked.

"Just one of my many pets. It's called 'Dimension Four'." Masquerade said.

"_Saurus Power Level Decrease to 350 G's." _Baku Pod said.

"Ack!" Carly squealed.

Reaper then charged at Saurus, and then he used his scythe to claw at Saurus. Out of nowhere, an opening to another dimension appeared, and sucked Saurus into it; Carly shouted, "_NO! SAURUS!_"

As the gate closed, Reaper then flew back to Masquerade, in ball form. Carly complained to him, "Hey, no fair, taking my Bakugan out of the battle like that!"

"Impressive power…" Dragonir said, still closed up in his ball form.

"Here we go! Bakugan Brawl! Monarus, Stand!" Carly shouted, sending out her Monarus.

Rising on the card came a white Monarch Butterfly-like Bakugan. It had white wings with some orange in the color scheme.

Masquerade then said, "Reaper Stand!"

Reaper came up on his card again, and this time, he was ready for more.

"Ability Card, Activate… Um… Aha! Air Battle!" Carly shouted, as she threw her card down.

Monarus rose up off the card and she started flying around in circles above the field.

'_There's no telling what this guy will do…' _Carly said.

"Hmph… Double Dimension Activate!" Masquerade said, lifting up and activating his ability card.

Monarus was then sent crashing to the ground after a gust of wind blew, causing Carly to panic.

"No, no, no, no! This isn't… Ack!" Carly said, in a panic.

Reaper then lunged at Monarus, and used his scythe to slash at Monarus. Another gate opened up in mid-air, and then Monarus was blown in.

"Monarus! NO!" Carly shouted, tears in her eyes. Turning back to Masquerade, she started growling. "Hey, what did you do to Monarus? Give her back!"

Reaper returned to Masquerade, and he said, "Sorry, but I can't. Once the Doom Card is set, the battle is over."

"Wait a second: Doom Card? I've never read anything in the rules about Doom Cards." Carly said.

"Yes, Carly, the Doom Card. Once it's thrown down, it overrides all cards, sending the defeated Bakugan into another dimension for eternity." Masquerade explained.

"Eh?! No way!" Carly shouted, in panic.

"The DOOM Dimension!" Dragonir said.

"Pardon me?" Carly asked her partner.

A scene soon appeared where many Bakugan were being colored over in a purplish-blue hue.

"He's right, Carly. Bakugan are incapable of returning from the Doom Dimension. There, we meet our eternal end. Nothing strikes fear into a Bakugan more than that." Dragonir said.

"That can't be…" Carly said, worry in her eyes. "Even though I know how you're stealing everyone's Bakugan, what I want to know is why you're wrecking this game and sending innocent Bakugan to the Doom Dimension, even when they don't deserve it?"

"Carly, Carly, Carly," Masquerade said. "Whoever said this was just a game? Every battle is real."

"Dragonir…" Carly said, fretting over what was to happen next.

"Carly, please! Put me in! I have to win this! For both of us!" Dragonir said.

"Right," Carly said, as she gently took Dragonir into her hand. "Bakugan Brawl!"

Masquerade threw Reaper onto the gate card, and then both Bakugan Balls collided, rising up on to the card. Dragonir then charged at Reaper, biting at him, only for Reaper to defend by using the handle of his scythe, and for Dragonir to bite the scythe, not breaking it.

"What are your intentions?! Are you aware of the catastrophe in Vestroia?" Dragonir asked.

"That's irrelevant to me!" Reaper said.

"No, it's not!" Dragonir said, as he flew back a bit, dodging the scythe.

"I'm a soldier! In this dimension, I'm free to team up with a human, and then I can inherit infinite power!" Reaper shouted, slashing at Dragonir.

"You moron!" Dragonir said, as he tried attacking again.

_Initially, I didn't understand what Dragonir and Reaper were talking about, but I knew it had something to do with Dragonir's home world, so I paid close attention. Something was wrong…_

"I'm fed up with you! Time for you to go to the Doom Dimension!" Reaper shouted, as he jumped up.

"No! Dragonir!" Carly shouted, afraid of what was to happen.

However, in the core of Vestroia, some type of energy pulsar occurred, causing Dragonir to start glowing brightly with yellow and white lights.

"Dragonir! Gate Card, Open! Light Storm!" Carly shouted.

However, Dragonir's power increased heavily, as well as the Gate Card opening. However, when Carly took out her last card, it shattered, causing her to screech in fear.

"ULTIMATE BOOST!" Dragonir shouted.

As he kept roaring, and glowing brighter, Carly ducked, covered, and screamed as out of nowhere, a white flash of light appeared, and then as if nothing happened, they were back at the bridge.

"Dragonir? Dragonir, where are you?!" Carly said, in a panic.

"Down here." Dragonir said, in a closed ball.

"Oh, Dragonir! I'm so sorry…" Carly said, as she was about to cry, and picked up her friend. A tear dropped on to Dragonir, who opened up, and looked at his partner in concern.

"Oh, Carly…" Dragonir said.

"I could have lost you… My only friend…" Carly said, as she was about to break down.

"I spared him for you." Masquerade said.

"But why?" Carly said, standing up.

"You realize, I could have captured your Bakugan, but I decided not," Masquerade said. "It's been a slice, Carly."

"Hold on! I want a rematch!" Carly said, albeit a bit panicky.

"Bakugan is not just a game, little girl. There are other dimensions and powers involved, and…" Masquerade began.

"That's what I was assuming right from the moment I met Dragonir." Carly interrupted.

Masquerade turned back to Carly in mild surprise.

"As soon as I brawled for the first time, and finding out about Bakugan being able to talk, my instincts told me that there's something wrong in this universe." Carly said.

Masquerade just humped, and said, "As I was saying, this battle can lead to the end of the world; the only way to stop it is to defeat me."

Masquerade then disappeared into the shadow.

"So, human, that was a Dragonoid! I wonder if he was fighting at full power." Reaper said, in between the thumb and index finger of Masquerade's hand.

"Clueless, and worse, he wasn't in possession of what I'm seeking to obtain, but I _won't_ forget Carly and her Bakugan, Dragonir." Masquerade said.

Carly was crying, not because of Masquerade, but because she almost lost her only, true friend.

* * *

**Carly's in for a lot of insanity now… Sorry this took so long; tied up with other stories, and having a hard time finding the inspiration for this.**

**Carly: Next time, Dragonir and I bond while I try and prepare myself for my next brawl, but I'm soon confronted by this dude named Rikimaru, who challenges me to a battle. He thinks he's so cool because Masquerade asked him to brawl me… I'm not so sure I can win this fight, but what choice do I have? Dragonir's counting on me!**


End file.
